Tire-tightener.



No. 656,542. Patentm? A'u 21,1900. J. L. HAM.

' TIRE TIGHTVENER.

(N M d I) Application filed Mar- 3, 1900.1

NITED STATES PATENT ()rrron.

JAMES LETCHER HAM, OF HUDDLESTON, VIRGINIA.

TlRE-Tl GHT ENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 656,542, dated August21, 1900. Application filed March 3, 1900. Serial No. 7,225. (ll'omodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J AMES LETCHER HAM, a citizen of the- United States,residing at IIuddleston, in the county of Alleghan'y and State ofVirginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTire-Tighteners; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements intire-tighteners, and especially to a means of tightening and looseningthe tire by means of a thimble which is mounted on one of the spokesand, by means of a tightening-nut, is forced down over the angle-irons,which are fastened to the ends of the tires, said angle-irons beingconvexed on their outer faces and concaved on their inner faces andclamped by-said thimble on opposite sides of the threaded shaft of thespoke, whereby as said thimble and washer, also passed about theangle-irons, are forced toward the tire or from same the tire will berespectively tightened and loosened.

To these ends, and to such others as the invention may pertain, the sameconsists, further, in the novel construction, combination, andadaptation of parts, as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed and thenspecifically defined in the appended claims.

My invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which,with the let ters of reference marked thereon, form apart of thisapplication, and in which drawings similar letters of reference indicatelike parts throughout the several views, in which-- Figure 1 is asideelevation of a Wheel having my improved attachment secured thereto..Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the wheel longitudinally ofthe tire. Fig. 3 Tea View of detail.

Reference now being bad to the details of the drawings by letter, Adesignates the felly of the wheel, having a space between the ends ofsaid felly, said ends'being concaved,

as at A, and recessed on top, as at A In the hub B are secured the usualspokes, also a metallic spoke C, and the latter is externally threaded,as at C, and its outer end is slightly contracted and'extends throughthe space between the ends of the felly. Mounted on said threadedportion of the metallic spoke is a thimble D and also a Washer E.

Secured to the ends of the tire F are the angle-irons G, which may befastened to the tires in such a manner as to allow of their being easilyremoved, said irons being concaved on their inner-faces and convexed ontheir outer faces, as shown. The lower ends of said irons are apertured,as at G, and are engaged in said apertures by the lugs G on oppositesides of the metallic spoke G. The conveXed outer surfaces of saidangle-irons are designed to rest against the concaved ends of the felly,and the outer bent ends rest in the recesses A before described. Afterthe ends of the tire have been fastened together or tightened the sideplates K K are secured in place over the outer faces of the felly. Intightening the tire the two angleirons secured to the two ends of thetire are hooked over the lugs on the spoke C, and the thimble and Washerare forced over the outer facesof said angle-irons and toward the felly,and the two ends of the tires are drawn together. In loosening the tirethe thimble and washer are forced in the opposite direction and theparts readily detached.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim to be new, and desireto secure byLetters Patent, is-- 1. A device for tightening tires,comprising in combination with the tire, the angleirons secured to theends thereof, the felly, the hub and metallic spoke secured thereto, thethimble and washer mounted on said spoke, and adapted to embrace saidangleirons, and a tightening-nut working on the threaded portion of thespoke, as set forth.

2. A device for tightening tires, comprising in combination with thetire, the angleirons secured to the ends thereof, the hub and metallicthreaded spoke, thei'e'nds of said angle-irons apertnred and designed toengage ed portion or the spoke as the Ihimble and to over lugs on saidspoke, and the thimble and Washer are forced toward the felly, as setWasher, and the tightening-nut, as set forth. forth.

3. In combination with the tire having con- In testimony whereof I affixmy signature 5 cavo-convex angle-irons secured thereto, the in presenceof-two witnesses.

felly having concaved ends and recessed as JAMES LETCHER HAM. described,the metallic spoke, the thimble, Witnesses: washer and threaded nut,said angle-irons WM. E. ALLEN,

designed to embrace the tapered or contract- 7. H. MOCONIHAY.

